Funny Business
by diva.gonzo
Summary: Two-parts. Complete. Harry is having a brooding evening and his wife won't sit still until he spills the beans why he's having a bad afternoon and night. Ginny won't rest until she can do something about what he is feeling.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This based off my own nicheverse (*Cough CC isn't Canon Cough*) and so Albus isn't Captain Emo Edgelord and Harry isn't a tosser to Al. – _DG_

* * *

"Alright Harry, fess up."

Harry continued to stare at the kids playing video games in the den. "I – "

"The Minister being an arse?" Ginny cheeked. "Budget cuts stressing you out?"

"It's not like that," he muttered.

James stood up and danced over his brother Al, taunting him like only brothers could. "Don't pout. I told you that you had to drink a strength potion before taking on that wizard. I can't help it he killed you within 30 seconds."

"Shut up. I'll beat him" Al glared but Ginny knew that her other son would keep after his task until he did win and beat a task. He has her tenacity where James got by on natural talent. Al was the best of his parents, in addition to being a very kind boy, where James naturally took after his grandfather, supposedly.

"Alright. I'll start it from the last save. Try it again." James toggled his controller and the game backed up 5 minutes, to where the players were on the second level, with three more to go. The boys were immediately busy, fighting through trolls and other bad guys and jawing with one another. Lily Luna, though, was in the corner, playing with her toys and pointedly ignoring her brothers. Ginny knew Lils was irritated at her siblings for not letting her play on the console, but they also didn't know that when Lils couldn't sleep and Ginny was still awake late, they'd play a different game, bonding over video game go kart racing. Lily Luna loved going fast, either in a video game or for real. The family was thankful for their grandfather making such muggle things work in their household around so much magic.

Ginny tuned her kids out and focused on her distressed husband. She knew him better than he knew himself most days and needed to know what was going on before she could help him – or kick his arse out of agonizing over something he would reluctantly share with her.

"You took the kids out for ice crème when you got home from work at 1, and then went and played at the park for two hours. You've not left work after a half day in years. Now I know you adore the kids, but something isn't flying straight here. I will help if you can tell me what's going on. "

"Maybe I wanted to spend time with the kids this afternoon. Can't a dad have some fun time with his brood?" Harry kept his eyes forward, not looking at Ginny. She knew that look when he was lost in thought and not paying attention to what was in front of him. "Al said he wanted to go play at the park and Lily asked for ice lollies. James wanted to play video games when we got home."

"I know you too well. Something is bothering you. You distract yourself from mental torment by playing with the kids more than usual. They won't notice but I can see it, how you stare out the kitchen window and forgetting to drink your tea."

"You're right." He didn't elaborate. He gazed towards the boys on the floor in front of them but his flame haired wife knew he was lost in thought. Ginny ground her teeth. She thought he was better the last few months, with work settling into an actual routine where he was home most evenings and they could spend time as a family. But in the last month, he grew distant, almost apathetic with the family. Ginny was at her wit's end in how to help her Husband be his warm and affectionate self. He was intentionally busy enough that she didn't have time to use her time-tested way of helping - a relaxing shag.

"Mummy, show me how to fix this." Their diminutive daughter who was as curious as her Aunt Hermione, and as much a dragon as her Mum, stood there holding a miniature figurine she used for playing Quidditch at home. Uncle Ron bought it for her sixth birthday and she never tired of it. The toy pitch took up space on the floor and she could move the figures around manually or her Mum could enchant it and she could watch the figures zooming around it. But one of the figures broke - the Keeper. Sometimes the bludgers didn't go the right way. Ginny pulled her wand from behind her ear and pointed at the toy Keeper and silently repaired it. "There you are, dear. Good as new." She pointed her wand at the pitch and animated the players along with the small scale bludgers. Lils went back to her corner with the toy box and was enthralled in moments.

"Come on, Harry. Spill it. You know I will pester you until you tell me either way."

A loud squeal erupted. "No! It's not fair. I did the spell. It should have worked." James roared. "Turn it back. I'm not dying by the wizard."

"I'll resurrect you as soon as I beat him."

"I said turn it back."

"No. You're mad you screwed up and got struck by lightning and were killed. Don't blame me for cocking up and stepping on the trap." Al unpaused the game and proceeded to kill the dark wizard who had been sabotaging iron ore for smelting. "

"It's not fair. I'm turning it back to the last save. I have to beat the dark wizard." James looked behind him to his parents on the couch. "Make Al turn it back."

Ginny snorted. "He said it: you stepped on the trap and got zapped. It killed you. And he promised to resurrect you in a temple shortly. Quit pouting and wait 'til he gets to a temple to heal you."

James ignored Ginny. "Dad! Make him turn it back."

"James, you died in the game. Either nicely ask or go revise in your room. I'm not giving in and going against your Mum."

"But Dad!"

"Insulting your brother for your own mistakes is something Uncle Percy would do." Harry knew he crossed a line by it but he'd not admit it to the kids right now.

"I hate you," James threw the controller and ran off. "I'm nothing like him!"

Ginny shook her head at her oldest son's antics. She glanced at Al and made a wink at her other son, her quiet one who was so much like Harry, but with a loving upbringing with tons of affection.

"Lils, do you want to play?" Al asked softly. "I could use a better companion."

Lily looked at her Mum and saw the affirmation. She yelped and dropped the toy bludger she was about to set into motion and ran to where Al was sitting. He tinkered with the controls a touch and reset the game to the last save and off they went, fighting trolls and slime and mercenaries. Al quietly coached his sister on traps and how to evade death by treasure chest.

Ginny smiled. Her thoughtful son set the controls from hard to easy, for his sister's benefit.

"Harry, tell me."

Harry screwed up his face some before growing stoic again. But Ginny knew better. He wasn't, not really. He was hunting up the words to use instead of exploding at her, even if she didn't do anything. They'd agreed years ago that he could vent at her, even exploding, and she'd hold off unless she was directly involved. That agreement prevented many barn burning rows. He reciprocated for her, too, when the politics of the paper got to be too much for her.

Audrey performed so many miracles for the family after the war ended.

"It's crap from work. You – "

"I do want to hear about it. You can share with me, well, as much as you can. You know that."

"You've got your hands full with the kids. You don't need my work crap too."

"That's a load of dragon shit and you know it."

A door slammed upstairs. Harry and Ginny looked up towards the top of the stairwell.

"I'll tell you after I go deal with James." Harry stood up from the couch and Ginny reached out for his hand.

"You're stalling."

Harry looked at his wife, and past her words. Her features betrayed her casual comment. She was imploring him to share with her his burdens. He couldn't resist anything she asked. "Yeah but when I get back, I'll talk." He leaned down for a peck on her lips before going to the stairs. He climbed them up with imposing footsteps. Ginny saw him limping up them and frowned. He wasn't limping when he left this morning. Maybe his hip was giving him grief, a result of a previous visit and stay at St. Mungo's.

"Mummy! I did it. I didn't get killed on that level. We're going down to the next one." Ginny smiled at her daughter and caught a wink from Al.

"You did? That's fantastic. Maybe Al can help you on the next level too." Albus nodded in affirmation. They turned back to the game on the telly and went back to their dungeon crawl.

"Yes, Mummy." Lily Luna didn't see her Mum give her brother a conspiratorial smile back. He smiled and turned back to the telly and unpaused the game. They were fighting once again against half-human creatures that were pretty easy to kill.

Losing patience at watching the kids clearing magical traps on the next level down, she got up to go to the kitchen to make a pot of tea for them as well as a tumbler with two shots of Firewhiskey for them, too. If Harry was that upset that it took much effort to get him to talk he might need a wee dram to lower his resistance – or she might need it to hear what he had to say.

She took the tray with the pot, cups, a saucer of milk, a dish of sugar with spoon, and the tumbler of distilled beverage back to the couch and put the tray down on the side table. She settled back into her spot on the couch with the latest copy of the Quibbler. She hadn't had a chance to read the article from Luna about the Peruvian Vipertooth. While much of it was fascinating and educational, the humor behind the article was why she wanted to read it. Somehow she read all of the articles in Luna's voice. It was like having her best friend at home, sitting next to her, reading aloud. It didn't hurt that interviews with Harry subsidized her expeditions.

Ginny lifted her head when she heard Harry stomping down the stairs. "He's grounded from the console and his broom the rest of the weekend." Harry plonked down on the couch and scowled. "He gave me some sodding excuse so I called him on it. He gave me cheek and I told him he was grounded the rest of the weekend. Maybe he can learn some manners while playing with his brother."

"I never did, that's for sure." Ginny cheeked. Harry saw her smirk and softened. "I distinctly remember ending all of my seasons with the most penalties for a Chaser in the entire league. So I guess he gets it from me."

"Oh I remember. I seem to recall you running full speed into Zacharias Smith after a match one time. Not like the tosser didn't deserve it." He smirked at the memory. But his expression changed when Lily yelled at the television. "She's like Ron that way." Lily yelled again before howling. Al grimaced at her temporary death before resurrecting her. They needed a few moments before heading down to the next level and facing more traps, slime, and bad guys.

Ginny turned to get his cup along with pouring a splash of whiskey into it. She stirred it before handing it over. He took a sip and gave her a pointed look. "I don't need it," he whispered.

"Then I will drink the rest and listen to you not talk." She wiggled her eyebrows at him as she picked up the tumbler and drained the rest of the brown distilled beverage. Her face flushed and she burped a small bit of smoke before smiling at him. Her hard drinking days as a professional Quidditch player were years behind her but her alcohol tolerance never seemed to wane, as long as it wasn't elf made wine.

She turned her attention back at her kids and said to herself that she'd wait on him tonight. Ginny laughed with the kids as they beat the dark wizard at the bottom of the dungeons and collected plenty of treasure. They were onward up and out of the mines and off to their next adventure.

She was comfortable with companionable silence as minutes passed and the kids played their video game. There were plenty of nights post-war with them sitting in companionable silence. Ever so slowly Harry learned to open up and share what he was thinking and occasionally feeling.

She felt Harry take her hand. It was their unspoken signal he was ready to talk. They came up with it the first Summer after the war ended, when so much trauma happened and sometimes Harry needed her but wasn't ready to talk. When she'd squeeze his hand back she was ready to listen.

Ginny pulled his hand to her lips and kissed the back of his hand.

"Hemera is retiring. She informed me of it today, effective at the end of September. That's six weeks from now. She's been an Auror for decades, and I depend on her so much. She was a mentor and then an amazing friend. Fuck, I'm going to miss her wisdom." Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "It made me realize that while I will miss her, I miss Ron even more."

Ginny put down her cup and saucer. Now that was profound, coming from Harry.

"I know you will. The two of you have been through hell and back so often you have your own boat across the River Styx. But what brought up the issue with Ron. Don't you work with him, see him almost daily. Don't the two of you have offices next to one another?"

"I do, yet I don't. We're both so busy in our jobs that we might see one another every fortnight at work or on the various inter-office memos flying around, but enough time to sit down for a lunch? Never. And I never realized 'til today how much I miss having him sitting across from me in the squad bay, throwing parchment at me when I was being a git, or his laugh when Hermione would drop by with takeaway when we were too busy to take a break for lunch. I miss Hemera ragging on us for being a couple of misfits or putting us on our ass in training without breaking a sweat." Harry took a deep breath and blew it out. "All I seem to do now is sodding paperwork, beg for budget increases, and play politics in the office, with the very rare occasion of a mission to oversee. I never considered I would be more politician than Auror when I took the Directorship. Had I known, I'd have turned it down and let Hemera do it for a few decades."

"I hate to say it but I do miss the early days of my career on days like this. I miss going without sleep for two days with Ron there, watching for one of the rogue Death Eaters and trying to bring him in alive, or not."

"Don't you see him in all of those bloody meetings you're always complaining about, that take up so much time and are so unproductive?"

"I do, but it's not like we have time to go to the pub after a shift and spend two hours talking about everything and nothing. Don't get me wrong – I love the kids with every bit of my heart. I miss Ron and Hermione, too. Hemera retiring made me realize all it. When she told me, I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut by a centaur."

"Let's have everyone over this weekend, including Hemera and Aurora. I can cook a standing rib roast with all of the sides you like. Ron can bring over pudding."

"They're probably busy," Harry said wistfully. "And since Hemera and Aurora's daughter hasn't started Hogwarts yet, they might have other plans."

Ginny screwed up her face. "Look Harry, we –"

"I'm being stupid and selfish," Harry complained. "I thought that things wouldn't change when we had careers and kids and our families. I thought we'd share dinner once a week with everyone and grouse about work and laud the kid and others stuff." He frowned. "I never expected that my mentor would become a dear friend of mine and it not be you. And then there's Ron. I miss him being with me and available anytime I needed him. But then maybe that was my dream that we'd still be in each other's pockets for the rest of our lives, which I wouldn't ever mind. I never considered that one of my best friends at work would be my mentor and one of the bare few who lived long enough to mean something to me. I never expected to have my best mate working with me but barely seeing him."

"Harry, dear. Do you think that we have to see them daily to keep the friendship? Or that if I don't see Hermione for two weeks that I don't love her as fiercely as I do my brother? Or that if I don't firecall Mum for a week that she thinks that I hate her?"

"Well, um," He couldn't continue, "yeah, actually. Isn't that how it works?"

"Damn those bloody muggles," She complained under her breath. "Love, dear, I know that you need quantity of time with them. I get it. I really do. I miss seeing Luna when she's off on her expeditions for months on end. I certainly missed you when I was off on tour of the world those months way back when. But being away from someone for days to weeks on end doesn't mean that they don't love you, or that they don't want to see you. Those Muggles? Maybe so." Venom dripped from every word regarding the Dursley's, except Dudley who they were on a friendly basis with since he grew up and married a Witch. "Do you think that Mum and Dad don't love you if they don't see you for a couple of weeks? Far from it, dear. The same goes for Bill and Fleur and the rest of the family. Sure they might not see you for a month but they do love you, and even like you, too. I can guarantee that Hemera will bug you weekly, send owls, and postcards from all of the places that they will travel."

"It still hurts. I still miss spending time with both of them, talking bollocks at a pub over a pint of bitter and how fucked up a mission was." Harry sniffed. "That's why I took off early. I owled Ron but he was working for George today at the shop and he couldn't leave."

"What about this idea then? I'll call Hermione and see if I can keep her two pixies for a few hours and you can go with Ron to a pub and have some time?"

"But he's working at the shop and probably won't be home 'til 8 or so. The kids start getting ready for bed at 8 and Lily won't go to sleep unless I read to her for half an hour. I want to go out but you and the kids need me." Harry turned to look at his beautiful wife. "I promised you and the kids I wouldn't forsake you for silly reasons. Wanting a night with Ron at the pub getting pissed is a silly reason."

Ginny glanced at her two kids who were still playing before turning back to her husband. She leaned into him and kissed him gently but with passion and fire, promising more after the brood was asleep. "Let me see what I can do," she said. She kissed him again and got up from the couch.

"Al, heal me so I can keep playing," Ginny heard from behind her. Her precocious daughter and amenable son warmed her heart daily. Ginny stopped in the doorway of the den and watched her husband using magic to bring the Firewhiskey bottle to him and pouring a wee dram for himself, tipping it back in one swallow while watching his kids.

'I have to do something,' she thought as she went into the living room, where they kept the dedicated Floo for their home. She grabbed a handful of powder and tossed it into the fire. "Granger-Weasley auxiliary fireplace; authorization Weasley seven three seven." She waited ten seconds before yelling, "Ron? Hermione?"

Hermione sat up from her chair in her office and came over to the fireplace. "Ginny? Anything wrong?"

"No, but I do need to prattle a spell."

"About?" Hermione knelt down on the padded rug in front of the fireplace, sitting awkwardly before crossing her legs.

"It's Harry. Hemera gave her retirement notice today and Harry's gutted. But it made him realize he's also missing Ron. He misses spending time with Ron."

"I heard about her giving notice but I'm boggled about Ron. How's he missing him? They work together in the same department," Hermione said. "They see each other daily, or so I thought."

"Harry said that it's meetings and waving but to actually have quality time with one another and not talking work or shop is bothering him. I will try to change his mind but – "

"No, don't. Ron mentioned something about a week ago and it only now made sense. He said that while he loves the jobs and working in the shop with George, he does hate having to work so much."

"Any ideas?"

Hermione sat still for a minute, chewing her lip with a far off look on her face. "Ya know? I actually do think so. And while it's quite barmy, I think it'll help them. I think it will be one of my more brilliant ideas."

Hermione went into detail and the more Ginny heard it, the better it sounded.

"And the kids?"

"James is old enough to go with them but Al and Lily along with mine are probably too young to deal with that much travel. Camping they can handle, probably. But if Harry needs private time with Ron, I think James could stay with us and have fun with his cousins instead of that. It might be a bit much for him for a first time out."

"Maybe not if we work out a few things magically. But do we do this with magic or not?"

"I think that doing such without magic will help them both. It's not like they aren't in shape, is it?"

"So when is Harry free next?"

"A fortnight from now."

"I'll see to it that Ron has that four day weekend free. You can go ahead and get things set up and I'll meet you there. We'll have them go somewhere else and then meet up with us that Sunday evening."

"I think that would be a lovely idea for a trip."


	2. Chapter 2

"So whose bloody idea was this?" Ron scrambled across a section of rocks before getting to the top of the ridge and waited for Harry. He was a little more nimble and made it up easy.

Harry bent over to loosen a stitch in his side. "Our wives, ya git." He sucked in deep breaths for the fast climb up the switchbacks to the top. The 18kg pack on his back weighted him down some, with all of the gear they needed for their hiking trip.

"Our wives, ya git." Harry huffed and panted as he walked up the hillside with the 17kg pack on his back. "I told Ginny about not spending time with you and this was what they came up with." Harry stood up and continued walking forward on the trail, looking for the particular stop point Hermione mentioned for them.

"All you had to do was ask. It's not like I won't make time for my best mate." Ron huffed on the climb up the trail. He followed Harry and his pace. They learned the first hour that Harry couldn't quite keep up with Ron's stride.

"I didn't know that. We barely talk except about business when I see you at work. Then you also work with George and he takes so much of your time too that I might see you outside of work once a month. The few times we had arrangements to meet, George had something for you last minute, or he tagged along, or you had to cancel because George had an idea and you had to work instead." Harry stepped up to the fallen tree in front of him and groaned. "Look, I get it. George needs you. And you are part owner of the shop. But it seems like he's your best mate now and I'm Dudley to you - on Christmas card terms." Harry shifted the pack on his back before climbing up and over the tree. "Why did I promise my wife I'd do this without magic? This is bloody ridiculous." He looked and saw that there were half a dozen more down before they could get back on the trail. He stepped off and landed with a thud. "This is like being on assignment except we're not getting paid for it."

"Hell if I know. But somehow Hermione got me to agree, too. She said something about character building or some other sort of rubbish." Ron sat on the tree and swung his legs over. "I have enough character without adding more to it."

"And this is the first night of our trip. Why the bloody hell did we agree on a four day hiking trip to find our wives and kids? Oh right, that was my sister's idea - and my wife's too."

Harry stopped and gave Ron a face. "You were incredibly busy so we had to schedule something. You were either on duty or working for George, with the only time you had left was either asleep or with the kids. And I'm not asking you to choose between me and the kids, no matter how much I natter."

Harry shifted his pack on his hips before continuing on the trail. Even with the weight on his back and the fatigue he felt from hiking for eight hours, admitting such feelings to his best mate was freeing. Why hadn't he said anything months ago? Then again, he trusted his wife to hear what he was thinking, admitting his vulnerability and not take the piss out of him.

Then again, he had to give Hermione credit. Being out here, in the woods with Ron with no one owling him constantly or sending emergency Patronus about not emergencies. Out here it was just a ruck full of gear, meals, water, and accommodations: tents, camp seats, cots, and other reasonable amenities. Hermione did the magic on their hiking rucks, but didn't make adjustments for the weight. Anything they wanted, they had to carry it – heavy or otherwise.

"Why the bloody hell did I think I needed a cast iron skillet for making our dinner? This ruck weighs too many bloody kilos."

"You said you needed it for breakfast, to do a proper fry-up with eggs, rashers and bangers, along with scones and other proper breakfast fare. I warned you but you said you couldn't cook without it."

"Well I'm a sodding git, that's for sure."

"No you're not. And I'm the one who insisted on bringing a full pillow and heavy sleeping bag."

"Well that's just being smart, since it's supposed to be down 'round 10 tonight. It might not be like sleeping rough in Scotland under the stars but I don't want to repeat that on this trip."

"Don't remind me. That was a mission I intentionally blocked out and refused to tell Ginny about. She'd have gone spare if she knew that you were injured and we were out in freezing conditions and the only way we could survive was changing my Auror issue jacket into a wonky tent and your manky boots into some reasonable semblance of a sleeping bag. I doubt they'd understand that to keep from freezing to death that night was sleeping in that grotty bag together."

Ron roared laughing. "I bet the only ones who wouldn't take the piss from that situation would be Aurors who have gone through it countless times. And lemme say, mate, that you are not Hermione in the least."

"And you're not Ginny. You snore like a sodding steam train."

"Let's hope that we don't chase a Death Eater wanna-be across a frozen lake and it wasn't as frozen as we thought. Pulling your arse from the freezing waters was hard as hell. You had no dry clothes so stripping you down to your pants and then bundling you in the makeshift tent with a big fire did help until I could magically dry your clothes. I didn't want to see your pasty arse, nor do I want to see it ever again."

"Look who is talking, Mr. Specky Scrawny git. I've seen your arse too often for my own good, usually while it's giving my Sister the business. It's bad enough I hear her calling you her bitch."

"I dunno where that started," Harry stomped through a swollen creek, getting his trainers wet. "But she says that and then likes it when I tell her off for saying that. It's gotten to be a game now."

"I'm glad I don't have to see that anymore, at least unless we're at Mum's for an entire day and you find an unoccupied bedroom."

"Hypocrite. You have no qualms finding a quiet spot to –"

"Well, yes, that's true. She's gagging for me so much that – "

"I don't need to hear any more. I've seen enough to need an Obliviator!"

"When have you seen anything, git?"

"Got a month? You and Hermione lived with us at Grimmauld Place for a few years 'til you got married."

"So I ask again: When did you ever see us like that?"

Harry stopped and turned around, looking slightly mortified. "Let's see. There was the dining room table one night when Ginny came home from a late practice. And the time you broke the bed. And then there was the time in the front parlor, on the floor, and another time on the couch. I won't even mention the downstairs loo or the upstairs loo when you forgot to close the door."

"Well fuck."

"Yeah, exactly what I said when I saw the two of you all," Harry motioned with his hands in a general example of carnal relations with their spouse, "and many times more."

"It's a good thing you're not a pervert. I'd think you were a voyeur or something."

Harry picked up a clod of dirt and threw it at his best mate, striking him in the shin.

"What was that for, you git?"

"I'm not a voyeur. The two of you didn't have the decency of doing it behind closed doors."

"Says the hypocrite who had no qualms shagging his wife in public places." Ron passed Harry on the trail and he had to race to catch up to his long-legged best friend.

"I can't help it that she finds me fanciable and can't wait to get her rocks off."

They continued another hour before Ron pulled to a halt to stop and refill his water bottles.

"Didn't Hermione say she'd leave a Harpy's towel on a tree when there was a campsite nearby?"

"Yeah, she did," Ron answered between chugs of water. "She said us obvious walnuts wouldn't miss it."

Harry pointed to the Harpies towel draped over a limb on a tree a few meters in front of him with a glowing arrow pointing to the right. The followed it for a few minutes and found a clearing next to a stream. "It looks like this is the spot they intended for us to camp at for the night."

Harry walked to the other side of the clearing where there were some logs laid out, possibly for sitting or to contain a fire. "Well, the stream is over there so we can get water for tea and there's room to make camp on this side."

"It's a good thing it's not hot," Ron grumped. "I'd be miserable if it was hot." Ron dropped his ruck to get his water bottle out and was chugging more down. Harry followed suit with his own bottle. "But knowing our wives, they're going to kick us out like this often to get a break. Shit, I need a new shirt. I feel like I took a shower wearing my clothes."

"Well you do look like a ponce dressed like that." Harry smirked at Ron's attire. He had on some hiking shorts made of some material Hermione called poly-something and a Canon's t-shirt made of something that wasn't cotton and a fluffy jacket she called Down. Down with what, he didn't know. The trainers he had on were quite nice, even if he groused earlier about them looking like oversized bloody beater bats. She even refused to do an extension charm on his pack so he could carry more things easier. "You should learn to do with only the basics, Ron."

"Sod that," he replies before being hit in the face with a set of socks.

"So how long do we have to get where our families are?"

"Hermione said it's another 60 kilometers to their campsite from this one. She didn't tell me where exactly but said if we followed the trail we'd run across them. So the way we're going that should be not tomorrow night but the next one. "

"So we are camping out in this rubbish for the night, by ourselves? And no Hermione or anyone else?" Ron looked a touch concerned. "I don't have terribly fond memories of camping."

"It sure looks like it and I don't either. But maybe we can change that with this trip and future ones."

"If I wake up with a bloody badger in the tent I'm blaming you for it."

"You won't. I can't guarantee tomorrow or at the next 2 campsites." Harry ducked the gob of mud Ron threw before grabbing the kettle and scurrying off for the stream. They'd flipped a galleon to see who would set up camp and who would get the water they would need for the night and the next morning. He trod back on the stream to collect water and have a few minutes to think.

He still felt like getting a few things off his chest with Ron but figured it could wait until later tonight or even tomorrow. He filled the litre bottles along with the kettle and walked back to camp. When he returned Ron had the spacious tent set up along with a fire started. "At least they picked a decent spot for us." Ron was digging in his ruck and yanked out a cauldron that looked big enough for Mrs. Weasley to feed the entire family. Ron pulled his wand and pointed it at the cast iron cauldron, silently casting T _ertego_ to clean it.

Harry gasped. "You're using magic to set it all up?"

"Why not? I'm hungry. There's food in my pack that needs to be eaten. I'm quite sure you're peckish too." Ron reached down deep inside his ruck and pulled out a enormous earthen pot. "Dinner tonight is Irish Stew and I have a loaf of bread for it, too."

Harry sighed. "Why not?" He pulled his wand and set up his tent which connected to Ron's. They hadn't seen a soul all day on the trail so Harry didn't anticipate seeing anyone tonight sharing their camping site. The seclusion was nice especially outside and away from the hustle and bustle of their frantic lives. It was what he quietly needed – time away from everything to relax with his best mate and talk – or not talk.

"Hey Ron?"

Ron poked his head up from his pack, holding a huge platter of food that Hermione packed for him. Harry knew he had one too in his ruck.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you said you'd do this with me."

"Well, don't tell Hermione but I needed the break from working too much too. Fortunately I got things settled at the Ministry and George would have coverage for the few days we're gone."

"Ron?" Harry felt his insides curdling like bad milk.

"Yeah?"

"We should do this more often." Harry wanted to slap himself silly for not admitting what he really wanted to say.

"We will." Ron took the kettle back from Harry and hung it over the fire to heat the water for their tea. He took the kettle off and put their meals packed in foil to reheat.

Harry opened his ruck and shoved his arm down deep to find the camp chair he'd packed. There was a second one in there too, for Ron, since he carried their cooking pots. He found both and yanked them out. With a little bit of help via magic, he had the chairs sitting close to the fire with a cold butterbeer. He'd brought them with.

Ron poked at the fire with a stick, getting the foil packets flipped. "What?" he asked when Harry was giving him a particular look. "So I'm trying to keep to the spirit of this trip," he said.

Harry sat back laughing. "I'm glad you're trying, at least."

"I thought you'd have brought some of those sodding foam pads for us to sit on."

"Nah. I figured I could hump the chairs for us to use."

"I'm glad you did. I didn't think I could stand sitting my arse on the ground for the couple of nights. We did enough of that way back when and I didn't want to do it again."

"You're getting soft in your old age." Harry's grin gave away his cheek.

"Nope, just my arse. The kids keep me young and so do my manticores."

"It's cute how you refer to the Aurors in your charge."

"What, manticores? Nah. That's Rose and Hugo. The Aurors are a breeze compared to them. Merlin, who'd have thought they'd have Hermione's thirst for knowledge, my appetite, her insomnia, and my propensity to be loud. It's a wonder we can get them to sleep six hours a night. Merlin knows that it doesn't happen as much as we'd like. I blame it on Hermione's insomnia while she was pregnant and on bedrest."

"Then it's a good thing that Hermione can work from home. I know you wouldn't want your Mum to keep the kids the few extra days."

"Hermione does, sometimes, during the summer when the kids are home. But then she's in the office at 5am and then off at 2 unless something comes up. I pack them off to primary and she picks them up afterwards. It's the best of both worlds." Ron pulled the kettle off of the fire and made them tea.

"I've been thinking on what you said, about George. He's my brother and I love him. And there are days I want to throw a cauldron at him. But I choose you any day and twice on Holidays. However George still needs me. You don't, not like he does. You don't need me to get through your rough rays or take over when you're curled up in a ball and can't move much less function."

"I do need you. You're my best friend."

"I know." Ron handed over a huge bowl of stew to Harry before moving his chair over next to him. "It's been barmy the last month and I heard it from Hermione. But I'll also tell George he needs to share me more." Ron grinned over his bowl of stew. "I hadn't realized that it had gotten so bad that I hadn't seen you otherwise in months. Anyway, I trust Ginny to be there for you. When she can't handle it, I'm there. We might be busier than rent boys trying to make the rent the next day but I'm not going anywhere. Only way I'm abandoning you is if I board the train before you do – and then I'm not getting on it 'til you get there.

Harry's ears and face burned bright. Ron rarely spoke so forcefully about their friendship.

"If you want your stew warmed I'll trade it out for fresh in the pot."

Harry shook himself from his thoughts. "What?"

"Food. Hot. Eat." Ron smirked.

"Oh yeah, right." Harry handed over his bowl and Ron traded it out for hot stew. Harry tucked in to clear the loadstone from his throat and to fight back the tears threatening to make him look a ponce.

"So since you're an original investor in the Wheezes – "

"I told George that it was a gift, not an investment."

"And I told you that you were full of shite. I already have Fred's shares but you are still a silent partner. It's in the contract. So I can discuss with you our ideas for the coming year."

"Ron, it's still business."

"So? It's funny business. It's full of laughs and gags and pranks. And listen, I have this idea for a line of kid's pranks, funny and intended to teach safe prank ideas instead of mean ones." Ron launched into his ideas for new products, ones that George was testing currently. "And I will mention the new sign: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes - Funny Business, Inc."

Harry laughed. He laughed so hard that his sides were hurting.

"And that profit amount goes to the Fred Weasley Hogwarts Trust."

Harry choked on his laugh. "You're finally doing it? For real?"

"Yeah, I finally am. George is in agreement, and so is Hermione. Bill will administer it so it won't deplete financially and Dad and Fleur will oversee it, so no one is in complete control. It's a win/win for everyone."

"You know how many kids will be able to – "

"I do. I promised myself that if I ever got rich – as in have enough money with more left over that I can't decide on how to spend it, that I'd set this up. So I am. Percy got the house but I got the vault. He wanted her House and she doted on him as her favorite – but the vault was how Mum made sure I was sorted. She knew the rest would be fine. Between George and Bill, I'm probably as wealthy as you are."

Harry sat there boggled. He didn't know, at all.

"Blimey!"

"Yeah, pretty mad, isn't it?"

"Completely mental, isn't it?" He got lost in his own thoughts until Harry pointed out the cauldron turning a faint shade of orange. Ron pulled it off the direct fire and let it hover higher over it before setting it down on the flat stones surrounding the fire.

They both had been too busy to talk bollocks in entirely too long.

"So let me tell you about the time I turned my hair green from a potion exploding in the stockroom one time." He lit into the story, leaving nothing out, and Harry was falling out of his chair laughing until his sides hurt again.

The laughs between best friends went on for hours, even as tired as they were. Only when the fire burned down to ash and the stars provided the only light did they turn into their respective bunks in the combined tent, each sleeping soundly for the first night in months.

The next morning, all was well between the best friends.


End file.
